


Other's Woe

by orphan_account



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe- Modern Setting - Freeform, Alternate Universe- non magic, Bigotry, First Kiss, Genderfluid Sirius, M/M, Religion bashing, Study Group, University AU, transphobic language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-06
Updated: 2015-12-06
Packaged: 2018-05-05 05:33:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5363207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Forced to attend a group project meeting for a theology class, Remus thinks his day will be miserable until a gorgeous, grey-eyed stranger plants himself at their table and challenges the archaic thinking of the rest of the group.  And in the end, it works out very well for Remus Lupin</p>
            </blockquote>





	Other's Woe

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm on short holiday and when I was going to this sandwich shop, I overheard an obnoxious conversation by these religious people about what Jesus would do if he was here today and saw gay and trans becoming trendy. Needless to say, I had a few words to add in, whether I was invited to speak or not. Then later I had to incorporate it into wolfstar because I am complete trash. (spoiler alert, no one in that group said a word to me, which was a shame, I would have loved a good debate.)
> 
> **_Edit: A nonny on Tumblr corrected me that most genderfluid/non-binary people do consider themselves trans, and I had Sirius set himself apart from trans--so I've gone back to correct the language to show that Sirius, as a genderfluid person, does identify as trans. I apologise for the mistake, but really appreciate that being pointed out to me! xx Thank you!_ **

With a groan, Remus entered the small sandwich shop and spotted his group already sat at a table. They were already in heavy debate, and he had no idea how or why he’d been paired up with them. Was it cruelty on his professor’s part? To pair up the Jewish Atheist with the born-again Christians who were only taking the theology course—as they had all stated, “Because we want to let everyone know you cannot shake our faith.”

He felt so hateful.

He glanced up at the queue leading to the counter which now contained only one man. He was tall, Indian with wild black hair and rectangular, black-framed hipster glasses. He was wearing a rugby kit which was absolutely filthy—even his knees were coated in a layer of mud, but he was wearing an easy grin which said he didn’t let much bother him.

Remus wondered what life like that might be like. Afflicted with lupus which kept him poorly even in his better months, and bearing the scars of a violent accident which kept people curious and staring more often than not—and in the habit of asking awkward, invasive questions—Remus wished he could borrow just a bit of the stranger’s confidence.

“Oy! Lupin,” called a voice from his group.

Remus grit his teeth and turned. “Just a moment, yeah?” He nodded to the short queue and grabbed a menu from the small stack as he stood behind the messy-haired man. His eyes grazed the items and he let out a withering sigh at yet another shop unfriendly to vegetarians. Nearly everything had a helping of chicken or bacon, until he found the one veg sandwich. Had he still been vegan, he’d have been well fucked.

Crossing his arms, his eyes shifted to the side when a slightly shorter man exited the loo. He was criminally attractive, Asian, with rich black hair tied into a French plait down his back. He was wearing ripped jeans and an off-the-shoulder t-shirt with the glam-face of David Bowie plastered on the front. He had a leather jacket slung over one shoulder, and his motorbike boots clomped loudly as he strolled right up to the rugby bloke and grinned with wolf-sharp teeth.

“You should hear what the fucking table over there are talking about,” he said, and to Remus’ horror, the gorgeous man nodded to his project group by the window. “Fucking debating whether or not Jesus would have been accepting of trans people.”

Remus let out a quiet, “Fuck,” under his breath, because the last goddamn thing he wanted to deal with was that.

“Are you shitting me?” the rugby bloke asked. “Who the fuck…?”

“Dunno mate. I almost said something.”

“Won’t make a difference,” Remus muttered, only it came out too loud and both of them turned to give Remus a look. He flushed a little, but decided to be brave. “They’re a bunch of twats, and nothing you say will make a difference.”

“You know them?” the gorgeous one asked.

Remus pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fraid so. They’re in one of my classes. We’re here for a group project.” When he saw the gorgeous one’s eyes narrow, he said, “It’s not about trans people, it’s about historical Jesus v biblical Jesus. But they’re fucking impossible and don’t understand there’s a difference.”

“You in some religious Uni or something?”

Remus shook his head. “It’s a secular class—though no matter how many times I remind them, it’s pointless. As the resident Jew and Atheist, I’ve tried everything.”

Both seemed to appraise him, then the messy-haired one clapped him on the arm. “Rotten luck, mate.”

“We’re up,” the gorgeous one said, not taking his eyes off Remus.

The pair moved up to place their order, and Remus could feel the gorgeous one’s eyes on him the entire time. He did his best to keep his attention elsewhere, if only to avoid making the situation more awkward. Not that it could get much worse after his group were overheard being complete twats.

Eventually the pair moved off, and Remus placed is order. He determinedly stood near the counter, trying to milk every second he could be away from his group, but eventually his sandwich was ready and he had to walk over. He tried to swallow down his misery as he sat, not hungry at all as their beady eyes all locked on him.

“Good of you to join us,” one of them said. Remus couldn’t really tell them apart anymore. They were all white and bland. What else was there to know?

“Yes well, shall we begin?” He started to rummage in his pack for his notes, and the conversation went on. 

“I just think that historical Jesus would definitely come back to smite the gays,” one of the blokes was saying.

Remus started choking a bit on nothing. “Sorry…are you serious about that?”

“Well yes,” he defended. “I mean it states clearly in the Bible…”

“Actually I think we’ve repeatedly covered the mistranslations…” Remus started, but was interrupted.

“You know, I think the translations are subjective.”

Remus’ eyes widened. “Subjective? You know language isn’t subjective.”

“Well we can hardly debate about slang in a dead language.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Remus let out a long-suffering sigh. “To assume the language was slang is misguided at the very least.”

“Well we can agree to disagree,” the bloke said, sniffing.

“Hallo lads,” came another voice, and Remus’ eyes snapped up as he saw the gorgeous bloke from before plonking a chair between two of the White Boys. He clasped his hands on the table and smiled round them. “So, where are we? Agreeing to disagree, yeah?”

“Er,” one of them said. 

“Caught the tail end of what you were on about earlier. About trans people being smote by god.” He grinned wolfishly, and when he caught Remus’ gaze, he winked. “Just curious being that I'm genderfluid?”

The group as a whole, blinked at him. “And that is…?”

“Really? Do you lot live in a cave or something?” When they just blinked at him, apparently forgetting that a complete stranger sat themselves at their table. “Alright well for me,” he waved his long-fingered hand up and down his chest, “I tend to identify as demimale. But there are plenty of days I’m no gender at all. Occasionally a woman. Meaning I am, in fact, trans.”

“Demimale,” one of them sneered. “It’s like you lot are just making things up now. And let me guess, you have some ridiculous, made up words to call yourself as well. I know all about you and…”

“I use he and him, however the very idea you’d think they were made up…”

“Who are you?” one of the others demanded. “Why are you sitting with us? Remus, do you know him?”

“Oh. My name is Sirius Black, and I overheard your delightful little conversation early about whether or not Jesus might smite people. I think you should probably listen to your friend here seeing that Jesus was Jewish, who also happens to be Jewish, and also doesn’t seem to have his head up his arse.”

Remus flushed, letting his gaze meet Sirius’ hard and almost thankful. He knew it wouldn’t make a difference, but he appreciated it. “Knowing what the actual Pharisees were like at the time,” Remus began, “it was likely Jesus would have less of a problem with who someone was, and more of a problem with whether or not they were corrupted by greed and money.”

“I think the bible was quite clear about…”

“Does the bible mention trans people?” Sirius cut in.

“No, because they didn’t exist at the time,” the one next to Sirius said with a loud scoff.

Sirius blinked at him. “You honestly believe that? You honestly believe we're some sort of new development?”

“Only because it’s become trendy you…”

“And that’s my cue before it gets any more transphobic and I have to start beating the shit out of everyone here.”

There was a collective shudder through the group who seemed to realise that between Sirius and his mate, they would be in some serious shit if the pair decided to get violent. And Remus had never appreciated two strangers more.

Sirius rose from his seat, but instead of walking away, he came round the table and knelt beside Remus, putting his hand on Remus’ thigh. “Any chance you fancy a date with me?”

Remus felt his cheeks heat up. “Really?”

Sirius’ grin went wide and sunny, sending Remus’ head into a spin. “Yes. And not just because these lot are fucking horrible. You’re very good looking and I’m hoping you’re very not straight.”

“Straight as boiled spaghetti,” Remus muttered, and felt his chest swell when Sirius let out a barking laugh. 

“Fucking excellent.” He grabbed Remus’ biro and hand, scribbling his number on the inside of Remus’ wrist. “Please for the love of all things holy—real holy not this bigoted shite—text me soon. Like the second James and I set foot out that door. I’ll probably be out in the back alley having a fag as well for at least the next five minutes if you fancy a quick snog. Honestly it could only help matters.”

Remus was profoundly aware of the shocked glances on his group’s faces, but he didn’t care. How could he when someone this gorgeous was actually chatting him up. In a way that made him feel actually wanted.

“Yeah alright.”

Sirius gave his thigh a squeeze before standing up and beckoning his friend out the door. Remus sat there for all of forty-five seconds before he realised what he was doing. He rose, reaching for his pack, and the one on his left grabbed his arm.

“You can’t be serious.”

Remus laughed. “Of course I am! You want me to sit here and listen to your bigoted rhetoric when I could be snogged up against the wall by someone that fucking gorgeous? I think not. You lot have a good afternoon.” He abandoned his sandwich and group as he hurried out the door and round the corner.

For a second, he thought maybe Sirius had just been having him on, but then he saw a small plume of smoke coming from behind one of the bins. Taking a breath, feeling braver than he ever had in his life, he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked up.

Sirius was there, stood against the wall with one foot cocked up against the brick, one arm over his chest, the cigarette hanging loosely between his fingers. He was muttering something to James, but when Remus came round the corner, he froze. His grey eyes locked on Remus, then his face broke out into a grin and he beckoned Remus over with a head nod.

“I can’t believe that fucking worked,” James said. He gave Sirius a look, then backed up. “I’ll see you in a bit, yeah?”

“Maybe,” Sirius said with a grin.

Remus flushed, looking down sheepishly, but when a hand clapped on his shoulder, he looked up into James’ grinning face. “He likes you,” James muttered.

Remus felt a shock go through him as James was gone and somehow he was crossing the distance to Sirius who wasted no time fisting his thin fingers in the front of Remus’ jumper, pulling him close.

“Did they choke on their own tongues when you got up?”

Remus snickered. “They were a bit shocked, I think. You definitely gave them something to talk about for the rest of the term. Or longer.”

Sirius pulled him so close, he was nearly talking against Remus’ mouth. “Good. Maybe they’ll go back to their priests and whinge about how they’re oppressed and attacked by the big, evil queers.”

Remus licked his lips. “Big and evil, eh?”

Sirius reached up, cupping Remus’ cheek and let his thumb run under his bottom lip. “Well…evil. Which I think is knee-wobblingly attractive.”

Remus swallowed thickly. “Do you?”

“I do, in fact. And I’d also very much like to get on with that snogging, if it’s all the same to you.”

Remus grinned, then closed the distance between them, holding Sirius by the shoulders very tight as their lips met and tongues tangled. When they finally broke for air, Remus pressed his forehead against Sirius’ and breathed heavily. “I’m so glad I showed up today. Remind me to send them a gift basket.”

“Mm, I think I’ll go in on that with you. Because after tonight, Remus, we’re both going to be very, very thankful.”


End file.
